SoundForest
By Mieke VanderBorght,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Cool music loop composer best without pay wall, ads.
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SoundForest
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What’s It About?
Tap sounds to arrange them and make electronic music loops with SOUNDFOREST. There are four environments, each with its own visual theme, 40 unique sounds, and 18 slots for songs. Kids tap an icon to preview its sound, and then tap on the music board to use it in a song. Layer up to six of the same or different sounds in a single beat. Adjust the tempo, and make the loop as long or as short as you want. The free download offers limited content and ads; an in-app purchase unlocks everything.
Is It Any Good?
A fun animal theme and colorful icons make music loops look as great as they sound, but don't expect to get far with the free download, and do expect ads that might not be appropriate for kids. Though the free version gives a good sense of how SoundForest works, ads and technical glitches interfere with anyone who's serious about composing music loops. The interface is easy to use, and though putting music sounds on the board isn't immediately intuitive, kids will quickly get the hang of it. There's a large selection of available sounds, though they all produce electronica-type music. There's no internal option for exporting songs outside the app, but the developer's website gives a tutorial on how to make a recording from your device. Ultimately, SoundForest is a free, open platform for composing with no help or guidance. Some kids will love it; others may tinker for a bit and then get lost, but -- especially without ads -- it's a fun musical playground for kids who like to explore.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the songs kids create with SoundForest. Listen and compose together. How do you include sounds that go well together?
Explore musical concepts like beat, repetition, looping, tempo, and so on to help give kids some context. How does it sound if you speed up the tempo? What if you loop the sounds?
Listen to lots of music from a variety of genres. Talk to your kids about what kinds of music they enjoy the most. Encourage them to play an instrument, even something as simple as a homemade drum.
App Details
- Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
- Subjects: Math: patterns, Arts: music, rhythm
- Skills: Thinking & Reasoning: part-whole relationships, Tech Skills: digital creation
- Pricing structure: Free to try ($1.99 for all content)
- Release date: October 3, 2017
- Category: Music
- Publisher: Justin Alexander
- Version: 1.1
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 7.0 or later
- Last updated: November 22, 2017
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